Burner-tip cleaner



1927' L. E. HOOD BURNER TIP CLEANER Filed April 22, 1926 Inventor J. I.fl

Attorney Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES LAWRENCE EDWARD noon, or NUTTiiRFoR r; W'E's'r VIRGINIA.

BURNER-TIP CLEANER.

Application filed April 22, 19 261 Serial No. 103.870

The present invention relates to improvements in cleaning devicesparticularly for usein cleaning burner tips of miners carbide lamps.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide asimple device which may be readily and easily attached to'the' reflectorof acarbide lamp which normally is'held in an inoperative position so asnot-'to'interfere with the ordinary useof the lamp, the cleaning devicebeing adapted tobe' readily and easily placed in position for"facilitating the cleaning ofthe bore of the burner tip which usuallybecomes clogged with carbon deposits.

Another iinportant object of theinvention is to provide a cleaningdevice of the above mentioned character which will save con siderabletime and labor in cleaning theburner tip of a carbide lamp, the devicebeing' at' all times readily'a'ccessible.

A still further object is to provide a cleaner of the above mentionedcharacter which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong anddurable; and furtherwell adapted to the purpose for which it isdesigned.

Otherobjects and advantages'of the invention will become apparent duringthe course of the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this appli'cationand inwhich like numerals designate like parts throughout the sei'eral viewsFigure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a miners carbide lampshowing the present invention attached thereto and in aninoperativeposition, and

Figure 2 is a View partly in elevationand partly in section of thedevice showing thesame'in its opera tii e position.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustratioii is shown the"referred embodiment" of my invention; t e nu-iiieral 1 designates the"usual reflector of a miners carbide lamp and the 'b urner tipwhichpro-'jeets from the center thereof is indicated at 2. The usualboreor'p'assage" formedin the burner tip and through which-the gaspasses is illustrated at 3;

The bore or passage? of the burner tip 2 frequently becomes clogged upby the formation of-carbonand as a result of such obstructions; theburner tip becomes inoperative thepresent time the miner usu allycarries on his person a piece of wire which is preferably pointed atoneend and this piece of wire is'ordinarily used in cleaning out thebore of the burner tip so that the carbon deposits will be scraped orotherwise removed in order to provide an'unobstructedpassage for thegas. This necessitates the loss of considerable time and labor, and thepresent invention'has for it's principal'object to provide a simple andefficient device which may be readily and easily attached to'a carbidelamp and will at all times be accessible for positioning the cleanerelement over the bore/of theburner tip whenever it beeomesnecessa'ry toclean the burner.

My improved device comprises a bracket 4 in the form'of a flat strip ofspring metal, the inner end thereof being pivotally secured to thereflector 1 at a point adjacent the burner tip 2' as illustrated at 5."A spring clip 6 is formed at the outer end of the strip comprising'thebracket 4= and this spring clip is adapted for cooperation with theperipheral edge of the'refiector, for normally'holding the device in aninoperative position and=in a rigid manner asis clearly shown inFigure 1. A finger piece 7 is formed on the extreme outer' end of thestrip comprising the" bracket in order to facilitate the'disengagementof the spring clip 6 from the peripheral edge of the re- Hector 1 aswillbe more fully described.

Carried by the intermediate portion of the pivoted bracket 4' is thecleaner m'ember designated generally by the numeral 8, thesame'comprisinga' body portion 9 provided with a lateral extension lOwhieh affords a means for securing the cleaner member to theintermediate portion of the bracket 4. The extension 10 may be securedto the bracket-4 in any suitable manneras by way ofsolder or the like;body] portion 9" tapers gradually downwardiy and the upper portion ofthe body is externally threadedas clearly' shown in Figure 2." Alongitudinally extendingbore 11 isfori'ne'd-inthe body 9 and the upperportion of the bore is enlarged as shown at 12; r

The cleaning element per se comprises a' needle 13- which extendsdownwardly through the bore of the body, the lower end of the needlebeing pointed and adapted to enter the bore 3 of the burner tip 2 aswill also be' presently described.

A handle 14 is formedon-the' upper end The lower end ofthe' of theneedle 13 and a shoulder 15 also formed on said needle at a pointadjacent the lower end of the handle. An exp ansible coil spring 16encircles the intermediate portion of the needle 18 and is disposedbetween the shoulder 15 and the lower portion of the enlarged portion 12of the bore formed in the body 9.

An internally threaded cap 17 is threaded on the upper end of the body 9and the handle portion 1 1 is adapted for slidable movement through thetop of the cap. The upper face of the shoulder 15 also engages the underface of the top of the cap 17 in the manner as clearly shown in. Figure2. The coil spring 16 normally holds the, needle in its uppermostposition in the body 9 of the cleaner 8 so that the pointed lower end ofthe needle does not protrude below the lower end of the body portion 9.

As heretofore stated, the device is nor mally disposed in the positionshown in Figure 1 of the drawing, and the spring clip 6 being inengagement with the peripheral edge of the reflector 1 of the carbidelamp, there will be no possibility of the device being accidentallymoved from its inoperative position, thus preventing any possibility ofthe cleaning device interfering with the burner tip of the carbide lampwhen the same is properly functioning.

Towever, should the bore of the burner tip become clogged with carbon sothat the gas cannot pass therethrough and become ignited at the tip ofthe burner, thespring clip 6 is disengaged from the peripheral edge ofthe reflector 1 by grasping the handle portion 7 and by swinging thebracket 4 upwardly 011 its pivot 5 so that the lower tapered end of thebody 9 will be disposed directly over the outer end of the burner tip 2in the manner as clearly shown in Figure 2.

By then depressing on the handle portion 141, the pointed end of theneedle 13 will enter the bore 3 of the burner tip and thus remove theaccumulations of carbon therein so that the gas passage will again beopened. .Vhen pressure is released from the handle 14, the coil spring16 will return the needle to its normal position within the body portion9, and the bracket at may then be swung outwardly to its normallyinoperative position, and the spring clip 6 brought into engagement withthe peripheral edge of tho reflector 1 so that the burner tip cleaningdevice will be maintained in a rigid inoperative position to permit theordinary use of the carbide lamp in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, that I haveprovided a novel yet simple attachment for a carbide lamp to facilitatethe cleaning of the bore of the .burner tip without the loss ofanyconsiderable length of time or labor, the device being so arranged onthe carbide lamp as to at all times be readily accessible.

Vhile I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention it is to beunderstood that minor changes in the size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

Havingthus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a carbide lampincluding a burner tip, and the usual reflector, of a bracket pivot-allysecured at its inner end to said reflector adjacent the burner tip, acleaning member carried by the bracle et and adapted to be disposed inan operative position over the burner tipwhen said bracket is in oneposition, and means associated with the outer free end of the bracketfor normally holding the same in an bracket and adapted to be disposedin an operative position over the burner tip when said bracket is in oneposition, means associated with the outer free end of the bracketfornormally holding the same in an inoperative position, said meanscomprising spring clip associated with the outer free end of the bracketand adapted for engage ment with the peripheral edge of said reflector.

3. In combination with a carbide lamp including a burner tip, and theusual reflector, of 'a bracket formed from a single strip of springmetal, said bracket being pivotally secured at its inner end to saidreflector at a point adjacent the burner tip, a cleaning element carriedby the intermediate portion of saidbracket and adapted to be disposed inan operative position over the burner tip when the bracket is swungupwardly, a spring clip formed in the outer end portion of said stripand adapted for engagement with the peripheral edge of the reflector fornormally holding the bracket and the cleaning element in an inoperativeposition and against swinging movement, and a handle formed on the outerend of the strip to facilitate the disengagement of the spring clip fromthe peripheral edge of said reflector.

4. The combination with a carbide lamp in inoperative position againstswinging movement, and a cleaning member carried by the intermediateportion of said bracket, said cleaning member including a body portionprovided with a central bore, the upper portion thereof being enlarged,a needle extending through the bore of the body, a cap threaded on theupper end of said body, a handle formed on the upper end of said needleand adapted for slidable movement through said cap, an annular shoulderformed on the needle at a point below said handle, said shoulder beingadapted for engagement with the bottom face of the cap, and a coilspring encircling said needle and disposed in the upper enlarged portionof the bore for normally holding the needle in a retracted position inthe body portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LAWRENCE EDWARD HOOD.

